- 6 - Beware the fury of a patient man.

[toobravehearted]

[ He's been listening to the journal with mounting horror. He's heard the screams and the cries for help. He's heard their calls, taunts, chuckles of insanity, voices sing-song and like children calling their friends out to play a Game. He's heard the whisper of death, he's heard the shout of murder. Here on the Lewis and Clark he's heard the clamour and urgency, felt the panic sweep through as fast as wildfire.

There's people he's starting to care for a lot over there and here. People he knows, people he's getting to know. All lives are precious but someone else doesn't think so and he's getting desperate, frantic, running over the ship like a mad man trying to put out little fires, because this needs to be over now. He wants to be in six different places and times at once but he can't, no matter how much he tries. It makes for a bad storm just waiting to happen and it's building.

That man that everyone thinks is so polite and unassuming, wouldn't hurt a fly that chap; he's not here right now. It's typical for him to react instead of act; he's acting now.

His voice when he speaks isn't angry. Instead it's eerily calm and level but anyone that knows him well should hear the steel and command in it. It's a voice from a man that has faced down worse than most will ever have the bad luck and then some to know, a voice of over half a millenia fighting to do what is right, and it means business. ]

Anyone that is able to help and follow me, those doors need to be opened. Right. Now. Before there's more bloodshed.

Event Horizon... hold on. Please, I'm begging you, hold on. We're coming as fast as we can.

Comments

[rose_of_battle]

[Forgetting her journal's open near her, Sheena takes his voice as another hallucination--a run-through of all the people she's met.]

Oh! Doctor! There's no need to rush... We're still here...

[It doesn't occur to her that he may not remember her at all.]

[toobravehearted]

[That's not a voice he recognises. Although she knows him...]

That's why I'm rushing, miss. We're going to get you out of there. Just hold on. Just a little longer. What part of the ship are you in?

[rose_of_battle]

Miss?

[How pathetic she must be if she can't even get her hallucinations to remember her.]

It's Sheena. And I'm not sure. There's a window...

[She may even be by a door. She has no clue.]

[toobravehearted]

[He’s rushed but wants to keep her talking, calm her down and reassure.] Sheena. It’s all right. What can you see? Can you find somewhere safe?

[rose_of_battle]

[His question brings a bit of normal Sheena to the surface and she responds firmly.]

There's a window, remember? I can see the stars... Oh, and I saw another ship yesterday!

[Yep. Still pretty normal despite the light hallucinations.]

[savethedarkness]

I couldn't agree with you more. We've found the manuals, but it's tricky work.

[toobravehearted]

Emma? [Manuals? Normally he'd be the first to throw one of those over his shoulder but he will take anything he can get.]

Can you arrange for one to be sent down to the doors? If not I'll take dictation if you or anyone else is up to it. We've got to try something.

[savethedarkness]

I'll do you one better, I'll bring it myself. But then I should come back here to the control room. There are a lot of cooks in this kitchen, and someone's got to read out of the cookbook before we end up with a mess fit for no one.

[toobravehearted]

I understand exactly what you mean. Thank you, Emma. Quick as you can, if you'd be kind.

[kungfuwitch]

[Phoebe has heard many of her friends losing their minds - she's heard her HUSBAND's lost mind and had her own meltdown at the thought that she might be able to help them.

Now she's calm, deadly calm as she tries to push back the terror in her gut long enough to DO something. Her voice is dark as she replies simply]

Where are you?

[toobravehearted]

[That tone is an instant worry. But damn it, she's here, not over there.]

Connecting doors, on my way right now. Phoebe, are you all right?

[kungfuwitch]

No. [She's most certainly not but that's not going to keep her from working]

I'm in the control room but I can meet you there.

[toobravehearted]

[And with that a part of him wants to tell her no. It's a split made decision.]

All right. I'm down here and will be waiting.

[kungfuwitch]

[It's not long before she comes walking up. Her jaw is tense, eyes still red-rimmed from crying but now cold and determined to fix this... whatever it is]

Doctor. What can I do to help?

[toobravehearted]

[When he sees her his hearts go out to her. He recognises that look and knows it’s a dangerous place to be in. Looking at her eyes but not knowing the full reason why she’s been crying, he can only take a guess at what they all should know by now; people are being hurt and if they aren’t taken out of there, they’ll die. Flipping a rod of metal over in his hand, it’s broken off something and has a sharpened end. He hands it out to her after a second's thought.]

Can you start taking panels down with me? There has to be an emergency release behind one here somewhere.

We’ll get them out, Phoebe.

[kungfuwitch]

[She takes the rod from him, hand shaking only slightly as she does so. Her hand clenches tightly around the metal as she nods, both in acknowledgment of his request and in agreement.

She swallows, thinking for a moment about whether or not she trusts her voice to more than a few words just yet. When she does speak it's strained and distant]

Yes. We will.

[With that she jams the metal rod in the juncture between two panels - much harder than she really has to. With one jerk she pulls it free, letting it clatter to the floor]

[kindnessing]

Are you at the doors right now? [ Ken's still looking at the ship's log, but he'll pick up and leave if need be. When the Doctor says now, Ken's learned he meant now. ]

[toobravehearted]

Almost there. Will you help?

[kindnessing]

Yes. Give me a few minutes.

[ A few minutes later, a thirteen year old comes up to him, face perfectly serious. He recognizes the Doctor immediately... The Fifth, huh? ]

Hello. What can I do?

[toobravehearted]

Good lad. I'm expecting a manual and when it arrives with us, I'll need someone to search for anything to help us to start with if you can do that? Unfortunately I only have one pair of hands.

[kindnessing]

[ Ken nods. ] I can do that. Let me know if there's anything specific I can do... I'm good with computers if I'd be better off in the control room.

[toobravehearted]

[That’s a good bit of information. Thoughtful, he slowly points at him. The fellow is just a child though.]

Terminals, keypads, biometric readers then. Perhaps see if you can find one and decipher it? If not, then yes, back to the control room. There’s a young lady called Dairine there and perhaps you might help her relay any information down to us. What’s your name?

[kindnessing]

[ Ken nods. He's not familiar with Dairine, but he's sure he can find her. He turns and starts looking for a keypad, looking back briefly as he introduces himself. ]

I'm Ken. It's nice to meet you... sir. [ Phew. Didn't want to call him by his name out of the blue. Awkward... Hopefully, the Doctor will just chalk it up to the urgency of the situation. ]

dictated;

[gentleidealist]

Doctor? [Lloyd sounds tired.] I'm not imagining that, right?

dictated;

[toobravehearted]

[He knows that voice, doesn't he? Not as chirpy as the first time he heard it. It's not a stretch to figure out where he is.]

Lloyd? Is that you? No you're- I'm here. We're going to get this all sorted out, just as quick as we can.

dictated;

[gentleidealist]

I don't know what the others are saying, but it's not too late. We're not all crazy. There's something that's-- I think it's making us see things. Maybe it's something in the air. I don't know. There's a lot of people hurt and it's all we can do to keep them alive.

[His voice trembles a little at the edges.] Don't give up on us. We haven't given up, so don't you give up, either.

dictated;

[toobravehearted]

[Good grief. Good grief, no. The information given is bad enough but Lloyd’s voice does him in.]

Lloyd! Lloyd, listen to me. We have not, we will not give up on you. Hold on, just a little while longer. We’ll get you out. Don’t give up on us.

dictated;

[gentleidealist]

[He's not trying to do that on purpose, really, he's just tired and about to give in and his dad has been telling him to kill himself all fucking day.]

I won't. I promise.

[ofhope]

[ The Doctor. The Doctor. The Doctor. He's back. Joshua wants to help him over there to that ship, so that Lucrezia can kill him. He'll tell her where to stab—

No, wait, they need rescuing. Right. His voice is level; calm. ]

I'll help.

best comment ever o.O

[toobravehearted]

Thank you. Is that Joshua? I'm almost at the doors. Anything you can do to help. We need to get them out of there.

yeah this boy got issues with five. hi.

[ofhope]

...You...remember? Lakare.

hi ;) and dfnksfhidosh fiiiiiive, what did you dooooooo???

[toobravehearted]

I remember you and I spoke when I arri- returned.

Lakare. Doctor. I've heard that before since coming back. [Yes, no, even with time ticking away he's got to ask.] Joshua, are you all right?

[ofhope]

[ Joshua doesn't remember. He goes hot and cold too often with his enemies. It was the same with Clark, naturally. Abel was a level all his own though; none could touch that. ]

I need to save someone on that ship. [ And kill everyone around her. ] I'll help.

[toobravehearted]

They all need saving. The more hands the better. [He pauses a moment, unsure what to make of him and thinking it’s best to keep him talking.] Who are you worried over?

[ofhope]

Lucrezia Borgia.

[psych0p0mps]

I'm coming.

[She may be a little late, due to, uh... an interruption ... but she'll be there!]

[toobravehearted]

[He’s relieved to hear that voice.] Good girl. Be careful. [He’s timing her. If she’s not here in a few minutes he’s going to use the journal to call her out...]

[staggeringego]

You'll be able to now then?

[toobravehearted]

Able? Oh, I’m able. This has gone on long enough. Those doors need to come down.

Where are you? [He's going to hope whoever he's talking to is on the Lewis and Clark.]

[staggeringego]

On the Lewis and Clark already making my way to the doors as we speak.